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Hotrod Broadband Internet
Guide to Web Hosting

There is a great amount of pressure on businesses and consumers to get online and do it quickly. You see other people setting up shop on the World Wide Web, and often hear that you must be online in order to survive.

But many small-medium businesses and consumers are clueless as to where to start. They don't know how to create an online presence, they don't know if the investment will pay off, and they often don't have a big budget available for experimenting.

ICS Advanced technologies has you – the owner or manager and the consumer - at the core focus of our business model. If you want, we will hold your hand from the starting process of the basics, through the development of your website, to the launch, hosting and maintenance of your online presence.

We will start with some simple questions to help you comprehend web hosting, choose the system that's best for you or your company, and reach your goal.

1. What is a website?

In general, a website is a place or a "domain" on the Internet that can be used to exhibit your ideas, services, products or anything that you want the entire world to see. Your website is one part of a global network of computers, users and content that connects people around from around the world continuously 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can display information to all other users of the World Wide Web through your website .

2. Why do I need a website?

A website is essential in today's society. Millions of new users from all over the globe connect to the Internet and us the Web each day. People use the Web to do almost everything, including banking, playing, researching, shopping, and looking up information. The Web is an constantly evolutionizing environment, with new and updated websites appearing continuously. Utilizing the Internet is quick, convenient and effortless.

For an organization or small business, a website is like a phone listing or a window display. It is the first place people look before they do business with your company. If they can't find you, or they dislike what they see on your website, they will check out the websites of your competitors. A website can present vital company information to a prospective client, showcase your products or provide an opportunity for people to buy your merchandise.

The wonder of the World-Wide-Web is that it evens out the playing field and gives all the opportunity to be a contender. Whether you are an International company or a startup with revolutionary ideas, you have the ability to impress potential customers, who frequently make purchasing decisions based on the design of your website.

3. What is a Domain Name?

A domain name is an address on the Internet, usually some form of the name of your company, organization or hobby. It is the name people will remember when they want to go to your site. Like an address of someone's physical business, a domain name enables people to easily find your site. The best domain names are easily memorizable, simple, and great sounding. Great domain names help contribute to increased site visitors and return rates of visitors.

4. What can a website do for me?

A website can be used as a presentation tool to:

  • Providing support to your clients by providing online chat support or online documentation.
  • Provide press releases about your company. The first place people usually expect to find reliable information about a company (especially its shareholders), is on the company's website.
  • Sell products online to people around the world at any time of day. This can help builf your name recognition as well increase sales with low overhead.
  • Receive feedback and comments from your users. The easiest way for people to submit comments is through a website. No paper or postage is necessary.
  • Teach people over the Internet. The Internet is a great educational tool that enables students to retrieve the latest information in their area. Students can work at their own pace and attend classes at any time.
Now that you understand the basics of how businesses use websites, your next decision is which platform to use.

Platforms
The two major platforms for shared web hosting are developed - Linux and Windows. Which one a company, organization or consumer needs depends on what the website must accomplish. Most people starting out with a website are best off with Linux. If their business expands to the point that they need more than Linux can offer, ICS Advanced technologies can move the site to the Windows 2003 platform with minimaldowntime. Although Windows 2003 is more expandable and adaptable and can handle databases and integrate the website better than Linux, it is less stable. Also, few of the freeware or low cost software components that make your website more effective work on Windows 2003. These include hit counters, guest books, voting scripts, quiz/survey forms, and website form mailers.

Linux, however, has thousands of free software programs that you can download to spice up your content of the dynamic aspects of your site's content. You can choose either Linux or Windows for your server no matter which platform you have on your own personal computer. The programs that you use to access or manage your website, such as localized FTP clients, all run on all Windows-versions and MAC-based personal computers.

The following chart is a quick snapshot and side-by-side comparison of the two operating systems (4 being the lowest rating and 1 being the highest)

Attributes
Attribute Linux Windows 2003
Reliability 1 2
Ease of use 1 3
Expandability/Scalability 2 2
Integration with other Microsoft software 4 1
Free/Open Source Software 1 4
Speed 1 2
Functionality 1 2
Price 1 3
Supported Features
Features Linux Windows 2003
MS FrontPage X X
Flash X X
Shockwave X X
RealAudio/Video X X
Cgi-scripts X X
Perl X X
PHP X X
SSH (Secure SSH) X X
MySQL X
Web-Based Control System X
Anonymous FTP X
Website Graphical Statistics X X
Web-Based Email System X X
Cold Fusion X X
ASP (active server pages) X X
MS Access X
Visual Basic Scripts X
Windows Media X
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